IUB undergrad physics major Lauren Fessenden applied to and won a fellowship through the DoD SMART program during her freshman year as an IU undergraduate. The Department of Defense Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (DoD SMART) program is a scholarship for service program for both undergraduate and graduate students studying Science Technology Engineering or Math (STEM). The program benefits include a full tuition scholarship, a yearly stipend of $25,000-$38,000 depending on the level of degree being pursued, 8-12 week internships every summer, and employment at a DoD facility once you have completed your degree.
Before you are fully accepted by the program, you pick 3 DoD facilities that you are interested in working for. Lauren wanted to work in the aviation testing field, so she picked DoD facilities that were part of the test-flight wing of the Air Force. The DoD facilities interested in hiring conduct an interview and make an offer to work during the summer internships and post-graduation. In Lauren’s case, she will soon be engaged in analysis of flight test data at Edwards Air Force Base.
The College of Arts